Medically Unexplained Symptoms

Whenever we experience physical pain or discomfort due to exertion, poor life style, exercise etc it gets better on its own. If it doesn’t we seek medical help and it gets better.  Usually, we can pinpoint a cause or a reason to our suffering but sometimes we can’t. When physical discomfort or gastro intestinal problems do not resolve despite continued consult and even when blood tests & x-rays or scan reports are normal. They can be called medically unexplained symptoms because they are not due to a physical illness in the body. However, they can be explained, but to do this, we need to think about causes that are not just physical.

Signs and Symptoms

These symptoms are very common. About 1 in 4 people who see their General Practitioner have such symptoms. In a neurological outpatient setting, it is 1 in 3 patients or more.  Having medically unexplained aches, pains and sensation in body can be frustrating since the tests for your symptoms are all normal but you still have your symptoms.

An important part of getting better is understanding what the problem is and neither you nor your doctor know. It can feel as though other people think that your problems are imaginary, or that you are making them up.

The commonest ones include:

  • Pains in the muscles or joints
  • Back pain
  • Headaches
  • Tiredness
  • Feeling faint
  • Chest pain
  • Heart palpitations

stomach problems – pain, feeling bloated, diarrhoea and constipation.

 

Team Profile

Preeti Sadhu Pendharkar

Mental Health Professional

Dr Shreyas S Pendharkar

Neuropsychiatrist

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